Blogs fume over West's new district

Conservative bloggers are lashing out against the Republican “establishment” for a redistricting map that could harm tea party favorite Rep. Allen West’s (R-Fla.) reelection chances, even sparking a conspiracy that pins the alleged campaign against West on Mitt Romney.

The right’s blogosphere has been buzzing over the last few days about a redistricting plan passed by the Republican-controlled Florida legislature that would put West in a district that is even more Democratic than the one he currently occupies.

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“The establishment is fighting back, alright. This has not received a lot of national attention, but the Republican legislature in Florida is about to push through a plan which puts Allen West at serious risk,” wrote conservative blogger William Jacobson at Legal Insurrection.

Conservatives pointed out that a major player in the process, Florida Speaker Designate Will Weatherford, has been a surrogate for Mitt Romney in the past. Some used this fact to suggest that Romney was involved in a campaign against Allen West.

TownHall’s John Ransom was incensed about the coming redistricting map and Romney’s supposed role in sidelining West – calling Romney an accomplice to President Obama, whom he called “the Devil.”

“Get ready for the all new GOP, under the lead of Mitt Romney. It’s a GOP where the Tea Party won’t be welcome, where the federal government will continue to bailout out banks and unions and everyone who’s anyone will continue to make money- except of course you and me,” wrote Ransom. “Throwing a bone to liberals is the thing that Romney, McCain, Dole, Bush and company do best… Yeah, yeah, Obama is the Devil, but Mitt and company have been willing accomplices.”

“Well, believe it. It’s happening, courtesy of the Romney Team and spokesperson [Will] Weatherford. This is the establishment fighting back against tea party stalwarts. Attacking Allen West in Florida??? What more do you need in order to see what Mitt Romney is?” added BigFurHat at the iOwnTheWorld blog.

Others were less conspiratorial, and instead focused on the fact that West has made enemies among some powerful players in Washington, D.C.

“Now I’m not saying Romney himself is behind this. That seems a bit absurd. It’s more likely that he’s made enemies in DC whose tentacles are reaching into the state legislatures to do their bidding. It seems pretty clear that there are some who definitely don’t like West’s level of Tea Party influence and that the long knives are out for him,” wrote a blogger at The Right Scoop.

In any case, conservatives responded to the news of Florida’s coming redistricting map with outrage and near-universal praise for West, who the PJTatler blog hailed as “one of the tea party’s most effective and popular leaders.”

“Seriously? One of the rising stars in the Party and the Tea Party movement, and yet the Florida legislature tries to harm his reelection chances via redistricting?” wrote a blogger at SisterToldjah.

“As part of reapportionment as a result of the 2010 census, Florida gained 2 Congressional seats. Despite that, it appears that the Republican-controlled Florida legislature seems to have somehow managed to make Allen West’s seat much more difficult to defend,” griped Leon H. Wolf of RedState.